Color Matching Cane

Cane Darkens Naturally

A freshly caned back in 2017
vs.
a seat done 2 years prior in 2015 and starting to darken on its own.

Cane is a naturally grown product and comes in one color: new. When new and fresh cane is light and color and naturally oxidizes and mellows over time to a honey brown. This does not happen overnight, but it is the most beautiful and longest lasting way to live with the cane. Natural variations in the cane's color really come through and make for rich depth of color.

Most clients find that they really like the fresh cane and enjoy how it darkens naturally. I encourage clients who are unsure to keep an open mind, take their chair home, and live with it before deciding about staining.

Why I Do Not Offer Staining or Painting:

1) First and foremost- application is a health hazard. To use staining substances on a professional, consistent basis requires industrial ventilation, equipment, storage, and EPA regulations not possible in a home business. I enjoy keeping my long-term health and a safe house for my family, so I leave staining to the furniture finish professionals.2) I am a weaver. Staining cane is not an easy task and to do it well it needs to be done by a finish specialist.3) It is not beneficial to the longevity of cane. Cane is a naturally grown, elastic plant material. Stain and paint are a purely cosmetic additive and can arrest natural elasticity especially on seats.

Professionally Staining to Match

Stains are made for wood, not cane.They are designed to be applied and rubbed into a porous, solid wood surface, and excess wiped away. Cane is not wood. It has a glossy, silicone surface that does not absorb stain, thus having the stain professionally formulated to match and sprayedis the best option.Modern, factory made furniture produced in the last 80 years have almost always been constructed, caned and then a stain and sealant mix was sprayed over everything. Factories mix and layer their own concoctions so to get a good match you need a professional who knows what they are doing. You will not be able to match factory finishes with an off the shelf can of stain. If you are very picky about color matching, a professional is the only way to go.I refer to: Coup Restorations-Phone: 614-274-5900, Steve Coup: scoup@couprestorations.com , Website: www.couprestorations.com

DIY Staining

If you are handy, on a budget, or just want to give it a try- DIY staining can be a great way to go. Read all directions and precautions- Ventilation is so important!

It is difficult to match the color and surface exactly. Using a soft bristle brush, gently brush on oil based stain (﻿ZAR﻿ brand or Old Master's Wiping Stain seems to work best) in very light coats with ample dry time between seems to be the best DIY option.

Don't try and achieve a medium to dark color in one coat- light coats that build up to the desired color works best. Remember that the cane showing through will darken with age so it is best to error on the light side so that when the cane darkens it will have a better match. Remember, once the stain goes on there is no taking it off. And less is more!

Once you are happy with the color apply a very light coat of varnish or lacquer to the top side only- never to the fibrous/rough underside.

Cane remnants for testing are available at no cost to clients. This is a great way of practicing, testing colors, coats... etc without doing it on the actual panel. A small swatch is easy to take to the store and to place in different lighting to see how the finish will look. If you don't like how it looks you can bail out to a professional without having tried it on the real thing.

Painting

I'll admit that painting cane can look really cool and the sky is the limit on color choices. It is fun for a pop of color. However, it is important to consider your willingness and budget to have cane seats replaced and painted quite often. Paint seals in the elasticity and tends to drastically cut the lifespan of seats especially. It may not be as big of an issue on backs as they do not take the weight of a person as seats do. So if you are painting cane be realistic in your expectations as to how long it will last and what it might cost you to keep it up.

What to Consider

Color matching new cane to a set or a back and seat:While I am all for using every panel of cane until it structurally needs replaced, when it comes to color matching it is smart to consider the following-

Age of the chairs and eventuality of need for cane replacement. Recaning is essential maintenance. If two chairs have the same age of cane and one has broken, the other may not be far behind.

Cost of staining to match vs. cane replacement. Is it better to put money into staining the new cane to match the old cane -or- replacing the other old cane preemptively, in which case all the cane would match and darken with age?

Color matching a single chair:If you are only recaning a one-off chair I HIGHLY suggest leaving the cane as-is to darken naturally.

Stripping

It is important to understand that once you apply a finish to caning there is no taking it off. Strippers made to remove finishes from wood will ruin cane. If you are not happy with what you've applied the only option is to pay to re cane the panel(s) and start over.

After Weaving Application Policy

All work is done with bare materials in their natural, variating colors, sizes, and textures.Emza’s Chair Caning is not responsible for any stain, paint, sealant or other finishes, cleaners, or additives of any kind applied to the weaving.

Staining Issues

Cane binding back with stain that is rubbing off with use. This is a common issue and unavoidable. Cane that is left to darken naturally avoids this discoloration.

This seat was only a year old. It had been lightly stained and heavily polyurethaned causing the cane to break apart like a potato chip when sat on.